In the fall 2014 inaugural capstone course for the Southern Connecticut State University Journalism Department, nine journalism students interviewed senior citizens to share the biggest change they have experienced or seen in their lifetime. Each student was required to interview three people over the age of 75. One of the persons could be a family member, and one at least one had to be someone of a different race. The oldest interviewee was 102. For the students, it was an eye-opening, emotional, thought-provoking and humbling experience that left an indelible mark on their lives. The project was repeated in 2015.

 

America’s senior citizens have lived through some of the most dramatic and rapid changes in the history of the world.  From horse and buggy days, to the Great Depression, to wars, space flight and the Internet — those over age 75 have experienced remarkable upheaval.

What do they think about what they’ve seen?  In the fall of 2015 Southern Journalism students in the Department’s “capstone” class spoke with elder citizens about their lives.

Each of the 19 students interviewed a family member and two strangers.

It was an eye-opening experience for the students.   The stories told in these profiles range from surviving World War II to being gay in America.  Here are some video reflections from the students about their reporting.